The present invention relates to a padlock type locking device provided for control devices of electromechanical equipments, and more particularly of circuit breakers.
The so-called padlocking devices allow to lock, by means of a padlock, a handle of a circuit breaker in an open position. The padlocking operation must be possible only when the contacts of the circuit breaker are actually open, as required by safety rules.
There are conventional circuit breakers in which it is possible to drive a control lever of such a circuit breaker in an open position even if the contacts of the circuit breaker are welded. However, in such a case, the control lever has a tendency to move back to a closed position or to intermediate positions between the closed and the open positions.
When means to convert a linear alternating movement of the control lever to a rotating movement of a handle are provided on a circuit breaker, it can happen that the control lever can be moved into a padlocking position and locked therein, giving the impression that the circuit breaker has open contacts, while they could remain closed owing, for example, to welding.